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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · prune · pit · bank · root · field · bowl · pound

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bank — for money
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. field — farmland
  10. bank — for money
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pit — in a race
  13. root — of a plant
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pit — a hole
  16. root — the cause
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bank — of a river
  19. field — a subject
  20. root — of a word
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. field — for sport
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com